Happiness starts at 34: The age we're most comfortable with ourselves revealed

THE happiest year of our life begins when we turn 34, new research reveals.

A detailed study of 2,000 over-40s asked people to reflect on their levels of happiness through different stages of life and compiled the key factors for each decade.

Results showed age 34 as the happiest year for people on average - ticking boxes such as tying the knot, having kids and making decent strides in a chosen career.

The study also found that is the age when we are most comfortable in ourselves, earn enough money to get on the property ladder, meet monthly payments with confidence and begin starting to enjoy the finer things in life.

The results show the range of the many happy times experienced by people throughout the different stages of life

Nigel Fisher, MD of home security Yale

Meanwhile, those who thought their 20s were the happiest cited the freedom, social life and career progression enjoyed in that decade.

Those who chose a year in their 40s as their happiest enjoyed watching the kids grow up and getting a bigger home, the study by home security specialists Yale found.

While those in their 50s pointed to work winding down, the kids leaving home, paying off the mortgage and even getting a new start after a divorce.

Nigel Fisher, MD of home security Yale, said: “The results show the range of the many happy times experienced by people throughout the different stages of life.

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At 34 many couples have tied the knot and had children

“With the average age we’re most happiest coming out in the mid-thirties, it suggests that the feeling of being settled in your work and personal life while still looking to the future is important.

“The study reminds us of the many treasured memories and experiences to be had at every stage of life and the foundation of many of those is a happy and secure home life.

“The same can be said for the memories and associations a family home holds, whether it’s family dinners every Sunday, building a den in the living room with the kids, or BBQs with friends in the garden. If a home is ever broken into, these memories are compromised, and Yale wants to avoid this at all costs.”

The study also found those choosing a year in their 60s as their happiest year so far said the ability to retire, travel more and finally relax as crucial boosts to a positive outlook.

A key reason behind being most happy included ‘meeting someone I fell in love with’ which appeared in the happy moments for 20s, 30s and 40s, while ‘getting married’ appears in every decade.